Transcriber's note: Unusual and inconsistent spelling is as printed.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
Twilight
Stories.
By CATHARINE SHAW
Author of "Sunday Sunshine," "The Strange House," "At Last," etc.
John F. Shaw & Co., Ltd.,
3, Pilgrim Street,
London, E. C.
CONTENTS.
CHAP.
I. A TICKET FOR EACH
II. WHAT THE SHEPHERD KNOWS
III. FOLLOWING
IV. KEPT AT HOME
V. ROBBIE'S CHRISTMAS EVE
VI. THE FLOWER OF HOPE
VII. MILICENT'S MUSIC
VIII. SERVES HIM RIGHT
IX. NELLIE'S HINDRANCE
X. THE EARWIG
XI. LOST ON THE COMMON
XII. BLACKBERRYING
XIII. THE STOPPED WATCH
XIV. THE MIDNIGHT A, B, C
XV. VERA'S CONTENT
XVI. A SEARCH FOR VIOLETS
XVII. SUMMER DAYS
XVIII. BECAUSE
XIX. THE HAUNTED ROOM
XX. AGATHA'S STORY
XXI. UNDER THE STARS
XXII. KINDLED
XXIII. TOM'S PERSUASIONS
XXIV. A MESSAGE FROM AMERICA
XXV. HOW TO FIND
XXVI. WORTH WHILE
XXVII. MID-WINTER
TWILIGHT STORIES.
CHAPTER I.
A TICKET FOR EACH.
"COME along, Auntie! The tea will not be in for a few minutes, and the
fire is bright and the curtains are drawn. Just sit down and give us a
twilight talk. It is New Year's day, and of course we want something to
help us on our way."
Their Aunt smiled. She had come to stay with them for a long visit.
The four gathered round her knew that she had passed through deep
trials, and they also knew that she had come out of them nearer to the
Celestial City, like "Christian" from "The Slough of Despond."
They did not guess that their love and sympathy helped her very much
too.
"Well!" she said, brightly, "I was thinking this morning about God's
promises, and I made up my mind to take one each day this year to live
upon!"
"How do you mean?" asked Rose.
"Every morning to take some distinct promise, or assurance, out of
the Bible, and think about it whenever I could, and remind God of it
whenever I was in any difficulty. I'm going to call it my ticket!"
"Your 'ticket,' Auntie?" said Oswald, affectionately. "I do not believe
you want a ticket to get into God's presence. Is that what you mean?"
The others smiled, and Aunt Ruth laughed a little.
"Well—it's just as well to have a ticket! The other day, do you
remember? I went to a large concert. Inside was light and music, and
friends; outside was cold, dull weather, and policemen and hall-keepers
jealously guarding the way.
"I was glad to have a ticket then, I can tell you; and it struck me
this morning that there is nothing Satan likes better than to say, as
those hall-keepers did: 'This is not the way! Where's your ticket?'"
"And how is that like God's promises?" said Tom, bluntly.
"Like this. In God's presence is light and warmth and music. Satan
would keep us outside; but when we can say to him 'God said so,' he has
not a word to answer, and is obliged to let us pass!"
"I see!" said Tom.
"Let us all try this year to have a promise, or an assurance, every
morning. I am sure it will bring happiness."
"Have you got one for to-day?" asked Jean, shyly.
"Yes," said Aunt Ruth, looking up. "It is 'Certainly I will be with
thee.'"
"That's a ticket to a very good seat!" said Oswald, with his eyes
shining. "I think your 'tickets' are a good idea, Auntie. We'll each
see if we can't get some for ourselves."
"But are the promises always applicable?" asked Rose.
"I think I may say I have always found them so," said Aunt Ruth, "for
when by a promise we get into God's presence, it is wonderful what a
feast He spreads for us, 'enough and to spare'; worth all the trouble
of getting in."
"Is it easy to find promises?" asked Tom, "For I should never know
where to look."
"You would soon get used to it, especially as there are quite 30,000
promises in the Bible."
"Are there, Auntie?"
"Yes. Did you never hear the story of the old woman who put T.P. on
pretty nearly every page of her Bible? Some one asked her what T. P.
meant, and she said, with great satisfaction—'T. P., Tried and Proved.
I've tried and proved every one of those promises, and found God
faithful!'"
"I like that!" said Oswald. "Now let's get a promise each for to-day!"
"How would you like to have the same as mine?" said Aunt Ruth, "And
to-morrow you can each get a fresh one for yourselves?"
This met with great approval, and Jean wrote on a strip of paper and
slipped it into her Bible—
"Certainly I will be with thee!"